Is Goji the Smartest Deadbolt Lock Ever?

This just might be the highest tech door lock of them all (including the nine other smart locks discussed here), or at minimum it is the most unconventional. Goji, a crowdfunded developer of advanced smart locks, has introduced the Goji Smart Lock, a smartphone-connected electronic security deadbolt with a built-in camera that sends real-time picture alerts and emails for visual confirmation of who is opening the door. (UPDATE: Inside the Goji Lock: What’s Up with that Camera?)

The sleek-looking lock recently made its debut at the Pacific Coast Builders Conference in San Francisco. The contemporary-looking lock is a modern disc in brushed metal with a subtle blue-text LED display that welcomes users by name. The Goji Smart Lock works with Bluetooth low energy mobile phones and also works through the home’s Wi-Fi network.

The device replaces a key with a smartphone, activating the deadbolt lock when the homeowner approaches the door. Homeowners can grant day- and time-specific access privileges to people, for example, to visiting friends and family; service professionals such as contractors, house cleaners and dog walkers; and to short-term renters who use services such as Airbnb. Goji digital keys are encrypted using bank-level encryption and cannot be transferred, stolen or copied like a mechanical key can. In case the homeowner misplaces his phone, Goji offers 24/7 customer service to provide assistance.

Featuring patent-pending technology, the UL-listed Goji Smart Lock consists of the battery-operated deadbolt lock, which homeowners can install themselves in the place of an existing deadbolt, four digital keys and two conventional keys. Programmable fobs are also available.

The device is expected to be available in December on Goji’s website for $278. Pre-orders are being accepted at Indiegogo. Discounts will be offered.

Product features include:

Picture Alerts: The lock has a built-in camera to send the homeowner real-time picture alerts via text and email that show who is activating the lock. All activity and photos are recorded in a log that the homeowner can access from the Goji mobile app or their Goji-account web page.

Day and Time Parameters: Homeowners decide exactly when someone can access their home by sending someone day- and time-specific access rights via text or email, and they can revoke them through the Goji app or website.

Sleek Design:Goji Smart Lock’s has a circular form and brushed-metal finish. There is no keypad or visible keyhole. A subtle blue LED display welcomes people by name.

24/7 Customer Service: Goji offers live telephone assistance and a network of locksmiths in case the homeowner misplaces their phone and needs assistance.

Key Fobs and Backups: Although optimized for use with a mobile phone, the lock also offers programmable fobs for those who don’t carry a mobile phone. For backup, the lock also operates with a conventional key by pulling back the digital display to reveal the keyhole.

“The centuries-old deadbolt lock is undergoing a radical metamorphosis right now that promises to give us previously unimagined control over access to our homes,” says Gabriel Bestard, founder and CEO of Goji, “Being able to send someone a digital key using your mobile phone is just the start. With the Goji Smart Lock, we’re already taking it further by sending picture alerts of anyone who enters your home using their Goji digital key and greeting them by name right on the lock. The future of locks is now.”

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About the Author

Jason Knott, Editor, CE Pro

Jason has covered low-voltage electronics as an editor since 1990. He joined EH Publishing in 2000, and before that served as publisher and editor of Security Sales, a leading magazine for the security industry. He served as chairman of the Security Industry Association’s Education Committee from 2000-2004 and sat on the board of that association from 1998-2002. He is also a former board member of the Alarm Industry Research and Educational Foundation. He is currently a member of the CEDIA Education Action Team for Electronic Systems Business. Jason graduated from the University of Southern California.

12
Comments
(displayed in order by date/time)

Posted by GoQAV.com on 07/09 at 03:55 PM

This is too modern of a look for most exterior doors. And this looks a whole lot like a Nest thermostat. Don’t get me wrong, I love the look of Nest and have two of them in my home. However, Goji aesthetics for entry access isn’t for me.

Posted by Julie Jacobson on 07/09 at 04:02 PM

I totally agree with you. Very strange form factor and I really don’t understand the whole camera bit. Wouldn’t it just be taking a lot of crotch pictures?

Posted by GoQAV.com on 07/09 at 04:05 PM

I thought the same. The picture show’s the gentleman’s face and body almost head on, which indicates the camera isn’t installed at an angle as it should be in order to capture usable images. Hence, resulting in a bunch of crotch pics showing up on your phone as you’ve pointed out.

Posted by Julie Jacobson on 07/09 at 04:09 PM

I had asked them this question via email but never heard back. Now I totally need to get to the bottom of it. Stay tuned!

Posted by mr. stanley on 07/09 at 04:59 PM

Not bad. How much is it?

Posted by Fins on 07/09 at 10:18 PM

I can just imagine the look on my wife’s face if I surprised her with that. “Look honey, you use your phone to unlock the door”

Clearly this guy has never tried to get three kids, backpacks, lunch boxes, and groceries in the door in the rain.

Goji is seriously going to charge for “bluetooth keys”? The lock is $278! It’s an inherent design flaw to not include a numeric keyless entry keypad. The fact that a bluetooth enabled device is required for keyless entry is complicating what should be a simple solution. The whole point is to add convenience so you can enter without a physical key. If your phone dies, or if your guest doesn’t have a smartphone, if you leave for a jog without your phone, or in any other number of similar situations you’ll have to revert to using a key and therefore defeating the entire purpose of the solution. Fail.

Posted by Julie Jacobson on 07/10 at 10:53 AM

I like the biz model of charging for digital keys, but then sell the lock for cheaper.

I grew up with a (mechanical) keypad door lock, which was wildly convenient. This lock actually precludes the user from having such a convenience.

Like I say in follow-up story, deal breaker for me, but maybe not for others.

Posted by DaveAgain on 08/02 at 12:20 PM

Just another way to monetize another portion of your private life, and not a very good one. Now, all a thief has to do is steal your cellphone, and they also have your “housekey”.

And what of the lock itself, physically? Just how secure is it? It’s taken Schlage, Weiser, and Kwikset, to mention three, decades to arrive at semi-reliable locks that offer fair protection. What kind of important features does this one have, to compensate for the one obvious flaw thus far?

Way too gimmicky, and the “security” is spread to the internet, making it inherently unsecure. All you needed was a passive proximity sensor, like a Weigand card. It would have cost an arm and a leg either.

Posted by fastharryDOTcom on 08/06 at 06:11 AM

a 1 pound mallet and a good swing would disable that thing in a heartbeat…shoould have been designed flush to the door…

Posted by REMOTIZER on 11/04 at 08:16 PM

Only time will tell if all the latest and greatest “Smart Locks” are cost effective, do not require a locksmith to install and/or re-key the backdoor’s deadbolt to match. Will the latest offerings physically fit on the door? More than one half of residences in the U.S. were previously leased, and already have two deadbolts installed on the door. Are smart locks"hack” proof? A failed front door deadbolt is a terrible thing, especially in an emergency! I like the look of my existing solid brass deadbolt and plan to keep it. -REMOTIZER